Mesquite Springs Campground, Death Valley National Park

On our way to the campground, we stopped to tour Scotty's Castle.

Although it is called Scotty's Castle, it was actually owned by Scotty's friend and benefactor, Albert M. Johnson. Located in Grapevine Canyon, the canyon was an ideal location for constructing a home, because it had a constant and regular source of water. Johnson had received an engineering degree at Cornell University, and used his engineering knowledge and ingenuity to take advantage of the natural resources available in the canyon, like the Pelton water wheels to generate electricity. The springs are located at an elevation 300 feet above the building, which means ample water pressure as it comes down hill and passes through the water wheel. The turning wheel would run a generator to produce electricity. The castle is filled with other technological ingenuity making it well worth a stop.

Continuing on to Mesquite Springs Campground, which is at 1800 feet in elevation, we found a site that backed up to Death Valley Wash (dry, of course, but I bet it was running with water last spring!).